Tuscan Chicken Meatballs
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta Orecchiette pasta works great
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 5 oz. spinach roughly chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ large white onion minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups starchy pasta water
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente, then set aside 2 cups of pasta water. Strain and rinse the noodles.
- In the Dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons of pasta water and wilt the spinach over medium heat. Strain any excess water and transfer spinach to a mixing bowl.
- Prepare the meatballs by combining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and parsley with the spinach. Shape into balls.
- Brown the meatballs in the Dutch oven with remaining olive oil, then remove from the pot.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine, then sauté onion, garlic, and green pepper.
- Add tomato paste and starchy pasta water, then return meatballs to the pot. Simmer until sauce thickens.
- Toss cooked pasta with sauce and meatballs until heated through, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use starchy pasta water to thicken the sauce.
- Don’t discard the pasta water; it’s a crucial ingredient for the sauce. If you do, you can make more by microwaving cooked pasta in salted water.